Maryland Democrats falling in line behind Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris at a national security event last week in Kalamazoo, Mich. Photo by Chris duMond/Getty Images.

Maryland Democratic leaders, most of whom are political institutionalists, have rallied around Vice President Kamala Harris as the alternative to President Biden now that Biden has departed the presidential race.

Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced Monday morning that he was endorsing Harris for president — just as the Maryland delegation to the Democratic National Convention, in an hourlong virtual meeting, was voting unanimously to support Harris’ nomination at the upcoming convention.

Moore became one of at least 16 state chief executives to endorse Harris less than a day after Biden withdrew from the campaign. There are 23 Democratic governors overall.

Moore, who is finance chair for the Democratic Governors Association, had been traveling the country as a surrogate for the president. The first Black governor in Maryland history and the only one currently in the United States, Moore has at times been discussed as a possible candidate for the White House some day.

In a statement Monday morning, Moore said he had “lengthy conversations” Sunday with both Biden and Harris in which he pledged to back the vice president.

“Vice President Harris has the experience, record, vision and wisdom to unify the country,” Moore wrote in the statement issued on social media. “President Biden selected her to serve by his side because he knew she could lead the nation. She will have the unique ability to unify the Democratic Party base and mobilize a unique coalition, and we must rally around her and elect her to serve as the next president of the United States.”

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Moore carried the same message into the meeting with Maryland’s Democratic convention delegates. Maryland Democratic Chair Ken Ulman and the dean of the state’s congressional delegation, U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th) also spoke on Harris’ behalf. About a dozen convention delegates chimed in with their support.

There was no dissent, according to people on the call. All 106 Maryland delegates, who had been selected one of three ways, had previously committed to supporting Biden at the convention.

“Vice President Kamala Harris possesses experience that uniquely qualifies her to serve as President of the United States, a strong track record of delivering for the American people on the heels of the Biden Harris Administration, and the leadership to unite the party through this unprecedented time,” Ulman said in a statement. “The Maryland Democratic Delegation stands unanimously behind her candidacy, eager to cast our votes for her and campaign vigorously for a historic victory this November.”

The rest of the convention delegates’ meeting was a discussion of the Democratic National Committee rules now that Biden is out of the race. The conversation was led by Greg Pecoraro, a Westminster common council member who is parliamentarian for the state Democratic Party.

At least a handful of other state delegations have also committed to supporting Harris for president, after all 50 state Democratic chairs met virtually Sunday evening to affirm their support for her presidential bid. It is appearing increasingly unlikely that another “name” Democrat will join the race, as the vice president continues to consolidate support.

Most of the other high-profile Democrats who were thought to be possible White House contenders if Biden exited the race have endorsed Harris, including Moore, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttiegieg, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

It is still unclear whether the DNC plans to hold a virtual roll call for the presidential nomination ahead of its convention in Chicago, which runs from Aug. 19-22, or wait until the delegates are all assembled and can vote on the convention floor.

Ulman said in an interview that the DNC Rules Committee, on which he serves, is meeting Wednesday and is expected to decide then when the roll call of states will take place. He added that for now, the Biden campaign apparatus remains in place and is using all its resources to elect Harris.

“The core of the operation is plugged in and ready to keep going — and frankly, from what I’m hearing, highly re-energized,” Ulman said.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D), the highest-ranking woman of color in the history of Maryland government, also offered an endorsement of Harris on Monday, though as a convention delegate she had affirmed her support for the vice president earlier in the day.

“When Vice President Harris is sworn in as the 47th President of United States in January 2025, after almost 250 years, a woman of color will write our nation’s next chapter — one built on inclusivity, opportunity, and hope, showing the limitless possibilities that lie ahead for every young person in our nation,” she said in a statement.

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) also endorsed Harris on Monday. U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and other members of the state’s congressional delegation had done so on Sunday.

“Having served with her in the Senate, and worked closely together during her time as Vice President, I’ve seen firsthand that she has what it takes to defeat Trump this November and to continue moving our nation forward,” Van Hollen said in a statement. He and Harris entered the Senate at the same time, in January 2017.

Md. GOP on the attack

Although some national media reports have suggested that Republicans are dismayed that Biden has dropped out of the race, Maryland delegates to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last week suggested they were eager to face off against Harris as the alternative, citing her role as the coordinator of the Biden administration’s border policy.

Maryland Republicans reinforced those arguments in the hours since Harris has emerged as the likely Democratic alternative to Biden.

“Reminder: Kamala Harris is the failed ‘Border Czar’ of this administration,” U.S. Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st) wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We are witnessing an invasion at the Southern Border because of her failed leadership.”

Kimberly Klacik, the Republican nominee in the 2nd congressional district, noted that Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign flamed out.

“The woman that polled at 1% in 2020 is now at the top of the Democratic ticket,” she wrote on X. “What a time to be alive … and a great time to be a Republican down ballot.”

– Bryan P. Sears contributed to this report. This story was updated Monday, July 22, at 6 p.m. to add Republican reaction and include more detail on the Democratic convention delegates’ meeting Monday.

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